Popiah

Popiah

Malaysia has its own spring rolls called Popiah which are definitely worth experiencing. Popiah is a Teochew-style spring roll. It is usually sold by Chinese hawkers although on occasion, you may find an Indian Muslim Popiah stall.

The popiah filling comprises grated turnip (mangkuang / hongkuak), lettuce leaf, bean curd, egg bits, grated carrot, a dash of chilli paste and sweet sauce (tnee ciau) and a sprinkling of fried onions.

Home-made Popiah may also have shitake mushrooms, prawns, crab meat to give it a richer, more luxurious flavor. The name Popiah, which in Teochew and Hokkien means "thin wafer", refers to the skin which is a crêpe made from wheat flour.

The sweet sauce is made from soy sauce, bean sauce and prawns paste. A combination of grated turnip, a smaller portion of grated carrot and optionally, bean sprouts, is steamed.